Facial reconstruction models to be released for remains found in Cana

The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office hopes facial reconstruction models and photographs will help solve the identity of the remains of the body found in Cana last year.

On April 1, 2012, human skeletal remains were discovered in Cana after the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office got a call to respond to Timber Road, where a man picking up trash discovered the remains while clearing a wood line on a piece of property. The remains were taken to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Roanoke for further investigation. Since that time, the only leads have been that the remains seem to be from a Hispanic male, possibly between the ages of 30-35, and approximately 5-7 tall.

On January 16, the Chief Medical Examiner for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke will unveil models and photographs showing the approximate appearance of four individuals found deceased in Western Virginia, but who have not been identified, including the body found in Cana last year. The facial models represent the skeletal remains of men found in separate areas of Western Virginia between 1986 and 2012. Aside from Carroll, similar facial reconstruction models and photographs will be available for skeletal remains found in Alleghany, Lee and Pittsylvania counties.

“The case has been at a standstill. We are still looking at things, waiting for positive DNA results,” Carroll County Sheriff J.B. Gardner said. “We didn’t know they were going to do facial reconstructions, but we are glad they did. Hopefully somebody might recognize them.”

Gardner said he believes the unveiling of the facial reconstructions is something new for the area. At least it’s something he’s not aware of taking place in the past. Regardless, he is glad the Cana remains were added to the list. The reconstructions will be made available to the media on Jan. 16.

“I am excited they did it. We will stand a much better chance of someone being able to identify the person,” Gardner said.

Anyone with information that may lead to the identities of these individuals is asked to call the Chief Medical Examiner, Western District at (540) 561-6615.